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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cue — a signal
  5. can — a tin
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cap — a lid
  13. kid — child
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bass — low music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com